It was during the
English Civil War that they came once again to the British Isles.
While England had gone from pagan to Catholic to Protestant faiths
over the previous thousand years, they did not. They first arrived
off a small coastal village in Wales. They came as they always had,
at dawn. While Cromwell's New Model Army had temporarily repressed
the ceremony of Christmas, the invaders had not noticed the the irony
of the date of their arrival: December 25.

On dawn on Christmas
morning, the villagers noticed were sails coming for them over the
horizon. The invaders came in British-styled ships, but they saw no
naval ensigns or jacks that were familiar to them. Several thought it
was a foreign invasion fleet, come from the Continent to exploit the
chaos of war. However, many of them had fearsome dragon-headed
symbols.

As the ships drew
closer to the shore, they unleashed broadsides at the village.
Special incendiary shells set fire to their homes. Many began to
huddle in the village's church on Christmas morning. As the ships
drew closer, villagers ran to escape from the invaders. The town
watch and militia tried to assemble, but most of the men were off
fighting the war. Only a handful of people were left to defend the
village. Half of them had tried to flee, and the others tried
barricading themselves inside the church.

Launches from the ships
headed for the burning village, each full of hirsute men in strange
armor holding copies of English muskets, large shields, and a variety
of melee weapons. They formed a shield wall and advanced up the hill
towards the church. Behind them, a looting party grabbed anything of
value they could. Women, children, and property were placed back into
the launches for departure.

The raiding party
eventually reached the church, and threw torches inside. The building
burned, and the pyre began to smoke the defenders and villagers out.
As they came out, they were either shot or taken as slaves. Many
prayed for help from God. None came. The ones praying only received a
death from fire, bullets, or trapping themselves in the burning
building. As the raiders withdrew, they left only death and ruins
behind them.

It would be weeks
before the few survivors could receive any sort of help. A relief
force arrived several days later, and there was little trace a
village had ever been there. Only ruins, ashes, and bodies remained.
The identity of the invaders was unknown, but the army had to concern
itself with the civil war first and foremost.

Several months later,
the raiders arrived at their home port, and offloaded their slaves
and plunder. The forgotten Norse colony had escaped conversion to
Christianity, and had eliminated any colonies that were placed down
by the Christians. Now, having mastered modern gunsmithing and
ship-building techniques from the slaves they had taken, they were
ready to put the fear of the Norsemen back into the world that had
forgotten about them. The Vikings unintentionally made their return
to Europe on Christmas, and soon, other parts of Europe would receive
the same surprise on other days of the year.

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.